1. Field of the Invention
A label transport device for transporting indicia-bearing labels for identifying electrical and electronic components, comprising a generally rectangular carrier frame member having a generally planar support surface, a generally rectangular planar indicia-bearing label, and a mounting arrangement for mounting the label on the carrier frame, including at least one positioning tab member connected with one edge of the label, and a positioning lug arranged on one of the frame and tab members for engagement with an opening contained in the other of the tab and frame members, thereby to position the label at a given transport location on the carrier frame member.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to provide labeling tags, cards, panels and strips for identifying electric conductors, cables and the like, as well as to identify building modules mounted in switch boards. These labeling devices are necessary because the relevant components, building modules or devices are installed in a relatively large number of units into a switch board, for example. Each component, building module or device is assigned a specific function so that it must be discernible, which component, building module or device has to be replaced, in case of any malfunction. Based on the relative high amount of required labeling cards and to obtain a good printing picture, the labeling cards are printed on by means of a suitable printer in continuous process. Qualified printers are generally designed as ink jet printers. After applying the printed image, it is thermally fused. This produces labeling cards of particularly high quality, which are smear and scratch resistant and can be used immediately after curing of the printed image.
Those labeling cards that are made of a synthetic plastic are generally manufactured by an injection molding process. Internal friction, which can be triggered by the injection molding procedure, can cause distortion of said labeling cards, i.e. they differ from flatness. Provided this has not already taken place during injection molding, the labeling cards distort due to thermal fusing of the printed images because the internal friction is disengaged by means of thermal stress.
The present invention was developed to provide separately manufactured labeling cards that are assembled to one transport unit for printing and that said transport unit can be guided through a printer by means of a continuous process.